ERKOWIT 379 
ivkite, instead of the rich russet hue which distinguishes 
the lammergeyer in Spain and in India. 
A specific object in these hills was to obtain the big 
black-maned Abyssinian baboon : and extraordinary¬ 
looking beasts these baboons were. A heavy dark mane, 
pendent from head, neck, and shoulders alike, enveloped 
the whole body as with a pelisse—save only the naked, 
hairless stern. At a distant view they resembled giant 
poodles! The baboons went in troops and were common 
enough; oft towards nightfall their unearthly shrieks 
and howls re-echoed from crag to crag. Yet we failed. 
For that lapse the blame falls solely on me, as the 
big- game expert of our triumvirate. My excuse is 
that after nearly five months’ strenuous campaigning, 
physical powers had begun to flag; moreover, the chosen 
strongholds of the baboons lay leagues away amidst 
rugged and precipitous regions. My two colleagues 
— both fresh as at the start — enjoyed various inter¬ 
views both with baboons and lammergeyers ; they 
reported the former as by no means difficult of access; 
but being armed themselves rather for Zosterops and 
Cinnyris ( = feathered treasures so minute that a brace 
will pack in a Bryant & May match-box!), no sort of 
chance with the great hirsute Cynocephali ensued. By 
such big and powerful beasts, no argument short of a 
rifle-ball, will be admitted. This double failure (with 
black-maned baboons and lammergeyer respectively) was 
a severe disappointment, but I contented myself with 
the resolve to retrieve both during the following winter 
when Selous was to join me. That, however, was not 
to be. Fate forbade. 
These woods were the home of the great Erckeli 
francolin, a game-bird as big as a blackcock, very 
clamorous at dawn, and often flying up to perch on the 
euphorbias, or on an upstanding boulder. The cocks 
weighed 3J lb., females 2\ lb. ; one of the latter, shot on 
April 4th, was ready to lay, which shows that this is their 
